Cycling: Reading’s high rollers storm to second spot

Reading Cycling Club enjoyed its best-ever performance in the annual Roller Race hosted by Didcot Phoenix CC at Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.

The individual efforts of the riders saw Reading propelled to second place in the team competition, beaten only by Oxonian CC.

The quickest Reading rider was club coach Greg Woodford, who showed he practises what he preaches by racing at 50mph equivalent and becoming Reading CC’s roller racing champion.

A roller is piece of equipment that a race bike sits on, allowing the rider to pedal while remaining in a static position.

The race pits two riders against each other over a distance of one kilometre, and is measured by a computer with the progress displayed on a projection screen in front of the riders. A team is made up of five riders with the fastest four times to count towards the team prize.

On the night there were teams from Didcot, Reading, Newbury, Oxford City, Oxonian & Mid Oxon.

And Bale, last season’s Reading champion, got his side off to a flying start.

Within the first 200m he topped 52mph and finished with a time of 49.27secs, nearly three seconds faster than last year.

Hindle, well suited because of his track cycling pedigree, also made an explosive start, but he suffered towards the end, posting a time of 57.51.

Bond touched 55mph in the first 200m and was able to hold the pace well before the pain set in at the end of the race.

The result was an impressive 45.64 – a full 10 seconds quicker than last year.

Next up was road racer Rory West, a novice to roller racing, who gave it his best shot, finishing with a creditable 51.68.

Last to go was Woodford, who suffered gear problems in warm-up and was forced to ride Bond’s bike. Woodford was a novice last year, but in the first 200m he was up to 54mph and managed to keep his pace over 50mph until the last 100m to record the best Reading time of the evening with 44.93.

Fastest individual rider of the evening was Ian Greenstreet of Newbury RC with a blistering time of 41.13.